Two out of three oil fields closed in protest over the arrest of a former finance minister have resumed operations.
Production at Libya’s Sharara and al-Fil oil fields has resumed after being shut down as part of a protest against the arrest of a former finance minister, officials said.
Both oil fields began operating on Saturday evening, with production at Sharara returning to normal levels on Sunday morning after Faraj Bumatari, the former finance minister, was released, according to Libya’s oil ministry and members of the minister’s tribe.
Bumatari, released on Saturday afternoon, was detained by the Internal Security Agency on Tuesday upon his arrival at Mitiga airport, with production at the al-Fil, 108, and Sharara oil fields shut two days later in protest of his tribesmen.
Oil field 108 remains closed.
Libyan Oil Minister Mohamed Aoun told Dubai-based Asharq TV on Saturday that the shutdown of oil fields had cost the country 340,000 barrels of production. He said Friday that the closings could lead to a declaration of force majeure.
Bumatari was targeted by the security agency because of his attempt to replace Sadiq al-Kabir as governor of the Central Bank of Libya, according to Zawi tribe leader Al-Senussi al-Ahlaiq.
The security agency is allied with Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah.
Since 2011, Libya has been divided between two rival governments, each supported by various international actors and armed militias in the country. Dbeibah is based in the capital, Tripoli, while the House of Representatives, which called for Bumatari’s release, is based in the eastern city of Tobruk.
The United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) had also expressed concern over the kidnapping of the former minister and the closure of the oil fields. It welcomed their release and called for the further release of “all arbitrarily detained, including civilians, civic activists, political figures and members of the security service,” the mission tweeted.
UNSMIL welcomes the release of former Finance Minister Faraj Boumtari, who was arrested a few days ago. UNSMIL reiterates its call for the immediate release of all those arbitrarily detained, including civilians, civic activists, political figures and members of the security service. pic.twitter.com/2SO7ROEIZh
— UNSMIL (@UNSMILibya) July 15, 2023
Libya’s oil fields have been the target of frequent political protests since civil strife erupted following the 2011 NATO-backed ouster of former leader Muammar Gaddafi.
The Sharara oil field in particular is often targeted, one of the largest in the country that emits 290,000 barrels of oil per day.
The field is managed by the state oil company National Oil Corporation through the company Acacus, together with the Spanish Repsol, the French Total, the Austrian OMV and the Norwegian Equinor.
